How to Draw an Animated Joker

Jack Nicholson starred as The Joker in Tim Burton's "Batman."

Drawing an animated joker is a wonderful way to display your artistic talent. Use an image of The Joker from the Tim Burton movie "Batman" as inspiration for your drawing. Keep in mind that character in Batman is larger than life in his personality and emotions. Reflect a joker's animated side with broad and deep strokes. Practice your drawing before committing it to canvas or a school project notebook.

Things You'll Need

• Paper
• Pencil
• Eraser
• Color pencils
• Markers
• Crayons

Instructions

1. Draw a large circle in the middle of the paper. Loop a long, curved horizontal line - shaped like an upside down letter C - that swoops over the top of the head, connecting on the right and left side. The circle and letter C will act at the outline for the joker's face and hat.

2. Draw facial demarcation lines. Lightly sketch a line straight down the center of the face. Trace two horizontal lines just above center of the face - one line atop the other. These horizontal lines will help you sketch and align the eyes. Draw two small horizontal lines - nose lines - in the same fashion at the midpoint of the circle. Sketch a long horizontal line below the two small lines to center the mouth.

3. Finish the top outline of the hat. Darken in the outline of the hat and head. Sketch a small loop - like a letter C on the left side (the drawer's left) of the head to act as a visible ear.

4. Draw in the eyes and nose. Sketch in wavy eyebrows and large, bulbous eyes - shaped like horizontal teardrops - in between the upper two facial demarcation lines. Draw in the nose from the midsection of the two top demarcation lines down to the upper of the two small horizontal lines.

5. Draw the mouth. Sketch lips the shape of flapping bird wings - at center, on the long horizontal line. Trace the joker's mouth facial paint with wide bird wing shapes that extend to both ends of the horizontal line.

6. Erase the initial tracing and demarcation lines. Darken in the eyeballs, facial features and face paint. Use bold and contrasting colors for face paint and the color of the hat. Give the joker ruby red lips and purple eye shadow and pink hat, for example. Shade the skin white and add hints of diagonal grey lines to give the paint a cracked and textured look. The bolder the strokes, the wider the expressions and the brighter the colors - the more animated the joker will be.

References

• Drawing Now: How to Draw the Joker from "Batman"

Resources

• Internet Movie Database: "Batman"